I'm not the best of landscape photographers, far from it, but I do find that any landscape images I have taken that have been any good have been taken early morning, evening or mid winter when the sun is low in the sky.

Foreground interest. most, but not all, good landscapes have some object, be it a rock, a plant or whatever in the foreground. This tends to give the image depth.

Use a tripod. it slows you down and gives you a chance to really look around the viewfinder and spot that crisp packet under the bench or the coke can next to the tree and eneables you to go and remove the offending item

Don't just take images from a height of 5ft 8". Get low sometimes or even high up for a different take on a scene.

Like I say, I am not good at landscapes so I hope you don't mind my observations

Steve

No Steve of course not, any information or suggestion is welcome. As I said I have never done landscape work and although I must have been taught it I can not remember, in fact, having only really used the movie camera for the last 30 years the still stuff is a matter of rediscovery.

Many more years than I believe possible I was taught to use a camera but there has been so many changes and so much else going on most of what I learnt is deep in my semi consciousness. Only now with reading around the Internet and joining a few forums am I beginning to remember, so any help is welcome.

Nicola and I have been told about the light, someone told me the only images that truly have clarity are those taken in winter because there is too much atmosphere during the summer.

I have now read about where to focus but still not sure if that rule applies what ever.

Any more tips please.

Can I have a crack at trying to answer the questions.

Light and shade
This can be balanced out somewhat by using a Neutral Density (ND) filter but as there are different strength ones, I would suggest "Google" them for further information. For reflections on water a circular polorising filter would help

general tips

Make sure the horizon is level, a common mistake. Have something as a point of interest within the landscape and think about the rule of thirds . Prospective ,it is useful to have something drawing the eye into the distance, ie a fence-wall-track.

Can the picture be taken from a different position which would improve the overall interest the photo would create. Use what nature has given , for example shadows -colours and the like.

The further away the subject the less noticable is camera shake but supporting the camera is still worth thinking about, there must be a wall/ tree or something to help steady the camera


AS a guide I would start at a shutter speed of around 1/60 sec at f8 as a basic setting and work from there altering the settings either way to suit.

Anyway those are my thoughts

Bazza

As well as the technical aspects I'd be interested to know what people do to create opportunity for landscape photography? I enjoy walking, and quite often do 10 or 15 miles on a Saturday through Leicestershire mainly, and have gone out the odd evening. I've driven around the roads for miles and to be honest, haven't felt inspired much, think I have seen it and done it around here. It's more a case now of either being lucky with unique lighting one day, or just spotting that certain something. There are some great little scenes, but we don't have the dramatic scenary some have, and I reckon now it's a case of having to plan specific shots and having to think them out more. I also agree with Steve, (very) early morning, evening and winter seems to lend itself more to good photography. When I am walking in summer, generally for landscapes by 10am light seems lacking in quality, flat and too bright/contrasty.

Thank you gents for your thoughts and information.

Understand what you are saying BC, living where I do it is difficult but I am determined to try, thought I would start by doing a pictorial trip around my own village, not picturesque but convenient and should give a learning curve. So far I have only walked outside my front door, today I am going to try to make a start.

As I said - I'm a bit stuck for time so rather than type it all out myself I've tried to cobble together various bits and bobs from different places to paste together what I consider to be worthwhile advice for landscapes..........

Use a Tripod
As for all landscape shots it's best to use a tripod. You can't get away from this because there's no way you'll acquire really sharp images by holding that camera in your hands. Why? because the average landscape exposure time is around half a second or thereabouts due to the use of graduated and/or neutral density filters. And on top of this it's a good idea to use mirror lock and a remote release cable. If you don't have a remote release cable you can always select a timer delay from the camera's menu.

Try Using a Shutter Release
Another almost essential part of your landscape photography kit is a Shutter Release Cable. Try to use one of these so you don’t wobble your camera when taking a picture, or when timing is critical. If you can’t afford a cable, or just don’t want/need one, then try using the 10sec timer of your camera instead.

Use a Graduated Filter
As a landscape photographer you should use a graduated filter when there's a bright sky's present in the shot. This will allow for a balanced exposure in-camera and save you time messing about in Photoshop afterwards trying to retain sky detail. The downside of is an increased exposure time, hence the half a second reference previously, and why a tripod is essential if you want to acquire really sharp images.

Use a low ISO value
To keep sensor noise to a minimum use you lowest ISO, and certainly no more than ISO 100. If the light's low... slow things down and use that tripod !!!!!!!!!

Use Spot Metering
Spot metering works a treat with landscapes. What you do is spot meter off a bright part of the scene, check the histogram and adjust settings manually to get a better tonal range. If your camera doesn't have spot metering, use center-weighted metering, which works pretty well.

Maximize the Depth of Field
To acquire maximum depth of field use a small aperture (high f-number). This will increase exposure time, but you won't care about that because you're using a tripod anyway. You then autofocus one-third of the way into the frame then switch to manual focus. You do this to prevent the autofocus from hunting, especially because of the low light level entering the camera.

The time of day
The beauty of landscape photography is in its variety - even one viewpoint can provide infinite possibilities, depending on the weather, time of day, and season. As a general rule early moring and evening are the best times. Then, a wide variety of lighting conditions are available for one or two hours, giving warm colors and low-angled lighting that shows up textures and shadows.

Take your time
By studying the foreground detail available and any lead-in lines before you click away you'll get a more interesting composition and a better image. When you see what appears to be a good landscape to shoot, don't fire away until you've assessed the variation in the vicinity. Allow time to explore and place the tripod where you think you'll get a great shot. Then take time to move around, looking through your camera's viewfinder for that ideal position. Don't rush this bit. Seek that perfect site, and experiment with various focal lengths, heights and angles.

Foreground Interest
Try including an object in the foreground to add more appeal to your images. Sometimes we tend to focus too much on the main subject and forget about what’s in the foreground, but including an object like a rock or bush adds another point in the story of your photograph, and helps lead the viewers eyes through the frame. Foreground Interest also helps to achieve a more balanced composition by empathizing with the main subject

Lead in Lines
Coupled with Foreground Interest, Lead in Lines are great for capturing the way a viewer looks at your photograph. Try to compose your scene so that features like roads, railings, railway lines, streams, shorelines etc, run from or near your foreground interest towards your main focal point. This way it gives your image a sense of direction; the viewers eyes are directed where you want them, so the story of your scene can be conveyed more clearly.

The Rule of Thirds
Use the rule of thirds, so that your foreground interest and main subject fall on the intersections of the imaginary thirds lines. This helps achieve a balanced composition and makes your scene easier on the eye.

Stick to the Rules
Unless you’re supremely confident in your photography, then stick to the rules and guidelines. Breaking the rules can give some of the best results, but don’t just ignore them without knowing why you are doing so. Once you know the ropes and can understand why you would break a particular rule then the world is your oyster.

Enjoy !

Thank you for your time Phill, I now feel duty bound to get out there and take a reasonable shot.

We'll be watching to make sure you do!

Can't guarantee the reasonable part, Little Me

Some really useful stuff there. I quite fancy giving it a go too.